Event Backgrounder: Roundtable and Remarks at the 1st White House National Conference on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
Washington Hilton Hotel

BACKGROUND

In 2001, the President launched the Faith-Based and Community
Initiative to level the playing field for faith-based and community
organizations providing social services. The 1st National Conference
highlights the progress of his Initiative and focuses on key programs
created by the Administration to harness the resources and experience
of faith-based and community groups.

Prior to his remarks, the President met with four individuals whose
lives have been changed by their involvement with faith-based and
community organizations, and eight individuals who have dedicated their
lives to helping others. In his remarks, the President announced
additional regulatory changes that further implement his "equal
treatment" principles and permit faith-based and community charities to
compete on a level playing field for Federal funds.

Today's conference follows twelve White House Regional Conferences
on the Faith-Based and Community Initiative that have taken place so
far.

BACKGROUND ON ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPANTS

Veronica Braewell, Catholic Social Agency (Allentown,
Pennsylvania) Veronica was born in Liberia in July 1983. In 1996,
rebel militiamen surrounded her school and opened fire on the building.
Veronica's flight from the rebels exhausted her, and she finally
collapsed and was left for dead. Veronica's grandmother rescued her and
nursed her back to life. Reunited with her father, younger brother, and
sister, Veronica and her family fled the violence to Ghana, where they
lived for several years until they were interviewed for refugee
resettlement by U.S. immigration officials. Veronica, her father,
brother, and sister arrived in the U.S. in August 2003. The United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) provided Veronica and her
family financial assistance, helped them find a place to live, and
enrolled the children in school. On May 5, Veronica completed her
studies at the Bethlehem Area Vocational and Technical School. She is
now working on obtaining certification as a nursing assistant and
expects to work at a local nursing facility for the elderly in
Allentown.

Elijah Anyieth, Commonwealth Catholic Charities (Richmond,
Virginia) Elijah was born in 1983 in a rural village in Sudan. When
his family's village was bombed, Elijah fled on foot to Ethiopia, where
he lived for about two years until the refugees were forced back to
Sudan. The continuing conflict, which took the lives of Elijah's
parents, caused him to flee again at the age of 10, this time to Kenya.
Elijah lived there for seven years before settling in the U.S. under
the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors program. Elijah arrived in Richmond,
Virginia, in November 2000. After two-and-a-half years in high school,
Elijah graduated with honors. He now attends the Virginia Commonwealth
University School of Engineering.

Derrill Frazier, U.S. Dream Academy, Inc. (East Baltimore,
Maryland) Derrill Frazier, age 12, is a sixth grader at Collington
Square School in East Baltimore, and a member of the Dream Team, a
mentoring and academic program of the U.S. Dream Academy. Since Derrill
started with the Dream Academy, he has blossomed socially and
academically. He has been matched with his mentor, Nate, for a year and
a half. Nate has been a steady influence in Derrill's life. Derrill
wants to be a lawyer or judge one day.

Brad Lassiter, Gospel Rescue Mission (Washington, D.C.) Brad
Lassiter came to the Gospel Rescue Ministries (GRM) in 1997. Having
been homeless, on drugs, undereducated, and recently shot in the mouth,
he was in need of transforming life services. Brad applied for
employment at the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank
under the partnership program between the World Bank and GRM. He was
hired, and he has worked there for almost six years, now holding a
permanent position.

Mark Franken, Executive Director, Migration and Refugee Services,
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (Washington, D.C.)
Mark became executive director of Migration and Refugee Services (MRS)
of USCCB in 1998. Prior to this assignment, he was the director of MRS'
Refugee Programs office. His work with refugees began in 1975, when
Mark facilitated the release from refugee camps of former Vietnamese
staff members who worked with him when he was in the U.S. Navy. He then
volunteered with Catholic Charities of Columbus, Ohio, to assist newly
arriving refugees in their resettlement. Mark received his
undergraduate degree from Louis University.

Wintley Phipps, Founder, President and CEO, U.S. Dream Academy,
Inc. (Columbia, Maryland) Wintley Phipps is the founder, president
and chief executive officer of the U.S. Dream Academy, a non-profit
organization dedicated to providing an on-line tutorial and remedial
education program targeted to at-risk children and youth through
community Family Learning Centers. Phipps is also a world-renowned
speaker and vocal artist.

Archbishop Harry Flynn, Archdiocese of Minneapolis (Minneapolis,
Minnesota) Archbishop Harry J. Flynn has served as head of the
Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, since October
1995. Archbishop Flynn is a member of the USCCB Committee for Black
Catholics; the USCCB Committee on Sexual Abuse; and the USCCB Committee
on the Charismatic Renewal.

Bishop Donald Wuerl, Diocese of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania) Bishop Donald W. Wuerl was installed as the 11th
bishop of Pittsburgh on February 12, 1988. He is spiritual leader of
some 800,000 Catholics in 215 parishes throughout southwestern
Pennsylvania. In addition to his responsibilities as shepherd of the
Catholic Church for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Bishop Wuerl is involved
in a wide range of community, ecumenical, and interfaith activities.

Dr. Tony Evans, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, (Dallas, Texas) Dr.
Tony Evans serves as Senior Pastor to the over 6,000 member Oak Cliff
Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas. He is also founder and
president of The Urban Alternative, a national organization that seeks
to bring about spiritual renewal in urban America through the church.
The Urban Alternative radio broadcast, "The Alternative with Dr. Tony
Evans," can be heard on over 500 stations daily throughout the U.S. and
in over 40 countries worldwide.

Rick Warren, Pastor, Saddleback Church, (Lake Forest,
California) Dr. Rick Warren and his wife, Kay, founded the
Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, with one other family in
1980. Today, the church averages a weekend attendance of over 20,000 on
its 120-acre campus and has become one of America's best-known
churches. Dr. Warren is the author of the New York Times bestseller The
Purpose Driven Life, which sold a record-breaking 17-million copies in
its first 19 months.

Reverend Cheryl Anthony Mobley, Founder and CEO, Judah
International, (Brooklyn, New York) Reverend Cheryl Anthony Mobley
is the founder and CEO of JUDAH International Christian Center, Inc.
(JUDAH), in Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Anthony is the first woman elected
chair of the Central Brooklyn Churches, Inc., Clergy Caucus, and is the
creative and driving force behind the "Wholistic Approach to Community
Wellness Program," which assists religious leaders, government
representatives, and community stakeholders grappling with social
challenges.

Reverend Jim Sprouse, Pastor, Trinity United Methodist Church,
(McLean, Virginia) Reverend Jim Sprouse serves as Pastor of Trinity
United Methodist Church in McLean, Virginia. Prior to joining Trinity,
he served as Pastor of the ecumenical Reston United Christian Parish.
Reverend Sprouse has also served as Vice Chair of the Virginia Board of
Ordained Ministry and as the chaplain for the Fairfax County and the
Henrico County Police Departments. He also spent several years teaching
at the Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia.

BACKGROUND ON STAGE PARTICIPANTS

Tonja Myles, Founder and Director, Set Free Indeed (Baton Rouge,
Louisiana) Tonja Myles directs Set Free Indeed in Baton Rouge, a
faith-based substance abuse program that the President mentioned in his
2003 State of the Union Address.

Lisa Thorpe-Vaughn, Executive Director, Amachi Pittsburgh
(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Lisa Thorpe-Vaughn is the Director of
Amachi Pittsburgh, an initiative of the Pittsburgh Leadership
Foundation (PLF) in partnership with other local non-profits, churches,
and agencies, which matches mentors from local congregations with
children of incarcerated parents. Before coming to PLF, Lisa was a
Program Manager for The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern
Pennsylvania, where she developed the Church Based Mentoring Network
(CBMN), a volunteer organization with over 50 local churches actively
involved in mentoring.

William Rapfogel, Executive Director, Metropolitan Council on
Jewish Poverty (New York, New York) William Rapfogel has been
Executive Director and CEO of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish
Poverty since 1992. One of New York City's largest non-profits, Met
Council provides home care, housing, employment, crisis intervention,
and other social and community services. Met Council also coordinates a
network of 25 local Jewish Community Councils and 30 other national and
local organizations committed to helping the needy.

Julio Medina, Founder and Executive Director, Exodus Transitional
Community (New York, New York) Julio Medina was arrested as a
teenager for selling drugs, leading to a 12-year prison sentence. In
September 1996, he was released from prison and began work as a
counselor with substance addicted and HIV/AIDS-affected individuals. In
1999, Mr. Medina obtained funding to form the Exodus Transitional
Community (ETC), a safe haven where ex-offenders seek help and support.
ETC seeks to address the needs of men and women reintegrating into
society from prison. ETC has already assisted over 1,200 released men
and women in transition.

Dr. Wilson Goode, Director, National Amachi Program (Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania) Mayor Goode was elected Mayor of Philadelphia in
1983, becoming the first African-American to serve in that capacity. He
served two terms as Mayor, leaving office in 1992. He is the Senior
Advisor on Faith Based Initiatives at Public/Private Ventures.

Rabbi Mark Borovitz, Beit T'Shuvah (Culver City, California)
Rabbi Mark Borovitz serves as Beit T'Shuvah's Rabbi, teaching daily
Torah lessons and working with addicts on their journey to recovery.
When Rabbi Borovitz was 36, he was in prison for the second time. While
Borovotz was serving his sentence, the prison Rabbi helped him
reconnect with his faith. Rabbi Borovitz, who has been out of prison
for over15 years, works with individuals who would benefit from the
President's Access to Recovery initiative.

Harriet Rossetto, CEO/President, Beit T'Shuvah (Culver City,
California) Harriet Rossetto is the CEO/President of Beit T'Shuvah,
a Jewish recovery program. Harriet works with men and women suffering
from various addictions.

Jim Palmer, President, Orange County Rescue Mission, (Santa Ana,
California) Jim Palmer has served as President of the Orange County
Rescue Mission since September 1992. Under Palmer's direction, the
Mission received the 211th Presidential Point of Light for program
excellence and cost effectiveness for services rendered on behalf of
the homeless in Orange County. Palmer also successfully orchestrated
the development, construction, and opening of the House of Hope for
homeless women and their children in May 1994.